For the Love of a Son
by Myfairwendybird
Summary: Story about the bond of a mother and her first son. Exploring the relationship between Catherine and Francis from the beginning.


_Story for Rachana_

 _Disclaimer: I own nothing of reign (something I'm grateful for at this point)_

 ** _AN: So this story is about Catherine's relationship with Francis (in case the title didn't make it obvious) and for the purposes of this story you can just assume Diane had very little to do with raising Cathry children, though she did decorate the nursery etc. and she will feature in this occasionally. But yeah enjoy! Xox_**

After ten long, agonising years of trying to conceive as her marriage deteriorated before her eyes, the Queen had finally fallen pregnant. Catherine couldn't recall ever being as happy as when the physicians had first told her the news. _For a while Henry had shared her happiness,_ her enthusiasm for their child growing in her belly. His _kindness_ returned and for a few blissful months he was hers again, just as he had been in the beginning before Diane had been summoned back to court after a particularly nasty argument.

But as was always the case with the tumultuous couple, _their happiness was short lived._ During the later months of her pregnancy, when the Medici Queen was huge and round and her mood swings were all but impossible to deal with, Diane, with her ever perfect timing, decided it time to return from Anet.

Just as he always had, Henry fell into her arms, _gravitating to the easiest option._ Falling for her well practiced tricks the King allowed his favourite mistress to stroke his ego and reclaim his loyalty and attentions. At her request, Henry stopped seeing his wife all but completely, though he was sure she still had all she needed.

At first his change of heart had been felt like the final blow to her heart before she met her undoing. _But then she felt him kick for the first time. Her baby boy_. Catherine knew it in her heart, she would have a son and he would be her light. _Her little saviour_. And so she gave him all of it, all the love Henry had thrown in her face over the years, the love she'd been waiting all her life to give to someone deserving, she gifted it to her unborn son.

In the weeks before the delivery she often sang to him. Told him all her secrets, all the things she'd never told another living soul. _Her precious one._ Catherine knew he would never betray her. Not as long as she kept him safe and innocent, the way children should be, _the way she hadn't ever had the chance to be._

The labour was agony. Worse than any pain she'd ever felt, _but it was worth it._ For him she'd walk through hell itself without batting an eyelash. The Queen's heart melted when her sons first cry ripped through the room, tears of pain giving way to tears of unbridled joy. For a moment she looked around her in hopes of catching her husbands eyes, but it seemed the King hadn't seen fit to attend the birth of his _second_ son and only heir. But Catherine refused to let his absence taint the happiness of this day as the midwife placed her tiny dauphin in her arms. _Her little blue eyed boy._ He seemed so peaceful in her arms.

In the hours after, Catherine tried to force herself to stay awake, anticipating that Henry would eventually give in and come and see his son. Though much to the Queen's disappointment, _it was Diane who came in his place._ Assuming the new mother was resting as she should've been, the courtesan headed straight for the young Prince's crib, intent on taking him to see his father.

The brunette wore a smirk on her face unique to someone who was _prematurely convinced of their own victory_. The favoured mistress had talked out the issue of the new Dauphin for hours with her lover until he had given her charge of his care and education. If Diane had her way, she would be the only real mother this child knew.

"You lay one hand on my son and _I swear,_ I don't care what Henry does to me, _I will end you"_ Catherine warned with such ferocity that if it were possible to kill with words alone the courtesan would be dead on the floor.

Diane jumped in surprise at the sound of the younger woman's voice, though she recovered quickly with an unconcerned laugh as she turned to face the Queen.

 _"_ _Such hostility_ , no wonder you're always alone." Came her petty jab. Merely rolling her eyes in annoyance, Catherine waited impatiently for the loathsome woman to reach her point. "… _The King_ assumes you will name him Henry" Diane informed after a moment, her tone implying the Queen had little choice in the matter.

"Then you may tell _the King_ he assumes wrong. My sons name is Francis" The blonde shot back defiantly, having no intention of letting anyone, especially the glorified prostitute that stood before her, to dictate anything in regards to her sons fate. She would name her son after the one man that had never betrayed her and if Henry didn't approve, _well that was just an added bonus._

Narrowing her eyes in challenge, Diane let out an indignant huff before storming out, likely to complain to Henry about his wife's unwillingness to comply to her wishes.

Waiting until she was sure her husbands whore had left, Catherine let out a sigh of relief before standing and making her way over to Francis' crib and lifting the sleeping babe into her loving arms.

"She's wrong." The Queen whispered softly as she rocked him back and forth in her arms.

"I'm not alone.. _I have you now"_


End file.
